Podcast appearances and mentions of robert kaufman fabrics

In this episode of FROM MY KITCHEN TABLE, Leslie Tucker Jenison joins Jo Packham on the mic. The two discuss Leslie's variety of different careers that finally led her down a path of being able to fully embrace a studio practice and her work with surface design on cloth. Leslie is an artist who makes contemporary quilts. Surface design using dye and paint are integral components of her work and photography frequently informs her designs, literally or by way of inspiration. She has been a guest on numerous television and online shows. Leslie’s work has been the recipient of numerous awards and featured in magazines and books. Her work has been shown internationally and is part of corporate and private collections and she is a fabric designer for WishWell, a division of Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Outside of her studio, Leslie loves to travel, cook, garden, and paint, and she has recently become a novice beekeeper Living in both San Antonio and a ranch in the southern foot of the Hill Country, she is a happy member of a rather eccentric family of artists and nerds. What could be better?! Learn more about Leslie Tucker Jenison: Website Instagram

  WHAT DOES A TEXTILE DESIGNER DO? Now, you may be wondering, “What does a Textile Designer actually do?” and if you’re curious about the job responsibilities and the day-to-day of a Textile Designer you should check out my other video here, What Does a Textile Designer Do? Otherwise, to explain a Textile Designer’s job briefly, a Textile Designer basically creates the designs and patterns seen on soft products like fabric or apparel and is often times also responsible for the product development end of things as well which involves the construction of the actual product. 1 | FABRIC DESIGNER So not surprisingly, the most common understanding of a Textile Designer is a Fabric Designer. Fabric Designers will create commercially appealing fabrics for the textile interiors market including office, residential, hospitality, and healthcare segments. They are generally responsible for researching trends, understanding the industry needs, and coming up with original ideas for fabrics. Fabric Designers should be able to develop their designs from the concept phase all the way to the product launch. They should be able analyze their samples and prototypes in a smart way, and receive feedback openly. Fabric Designers generally report to a Design Manager, Art Director, or Creative Director. Some companies that Fabric Designers could work for include companies like Milliken, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, or Kravet Fabrics. These are U.S. based companies so my apologies for my overseas viewers - I’m mostly familiar with U.S. companies.   2 | SOFT FLOORING The next category I called “Soft Flooring” because it encompasses designing different textiles that go on the floor. For those of you who know me, you know I was a Rug Designer for 7 years working for a manufacturer in Atlanta, GA and I absolutely love rugs! If you are new here, make sure to hit that subscribe button and click the bell to get notified every time I come out with a new video. So, in the “Soft Flooring” category, you could be a Rug Designer, you could design Wall-To-Wall carpet, or you could design things like Bath Mats or Door Mats. Your responsibilities would include trend research, creating a color palette, sometimes working with private label clients or licensors, and developing new projects to show at market at least twice a year, sometimes up to 4 times a year.   3 | BEDDING DESIGNER Bedding Designers often work with private label clients and develop trend strategies that support the specific brand. They are responsible for the design, development, selection and approval of materials, trims, silhouettes, colors and patterns. Bedding designers usually report to a Design Director or VP of Design or Product Development and help execute a strategic vision that is very customer-centric. Bedding Designers also have to think about how to deliver on sales and profit objectives with their projects. In other words, they need a commercial brain when they are designing. Bedding Designers are often responsible for developing an assortment - which means you not only have to think about the individual designs, but also how all of the products will coordinate as a collection. Imagine a bed that has sheets, a duvet, maybe a quilt, Standard Shams, Euro Shams, a bed skirt, and perhaps a throw on the end of the bed. All of these items must work beautifully together on 1 bed.   4 | SOFT GOODS IN HOME DÉCOR Other Textile Design jobs involve working on a variety of textile products within a certain industry like Home Décor. For example, if you worked at a company like Envogue International, based out of New York City, you would design a range of products such as pillows, throws, window curtains, aprons, kitchen + table linens, etc, as per the project requirements. In this kind of role, the designer should understand how to use programs like Photoshop and Illustrator and should have a basic knowledge of fabric and embroidery techniques. If you have a serious interest in becoming a Textile Designer, but lack some of these skills - please check out my signature course, Textile Star, where I teach designers how to gain a more creative career in Textile Design.   5 | FASHION DESIGNER / APPAREL DESIGNER #5 is a Fashion Designer or a Textile Designer who designs Apparel. Take my friend, Alex Duffley, for example! We worked together as rug designers back in Atlanta, but then she moved to New York and became a Fashion Designer for Michael Kors. Often times, Textile Design Jobs can transcend across different industries. As a Fashion Designer, you would be expected to work with the Design, Merchandising, and Product Development teams to design compelling and market relevant designs. Depending on the company’s market and values, your core priorities may be to something like comfort, fit, and or durability. If you work in “Fast Fashion” then your core priority may be to low prices and new key trends.   If you work in “Ethical Fashion” your priorities would be to source natural fibers that are biodegradable such as cotton, wool, linen, or silk, or to source recycled PET, and to ensure you manufacture products with companies committed to good labor environments and practices. You may even work with natural dyes or develop a line that has a more “earthy” or eco-friendly-looking color palette.   6 | BABY / KIDSWEAR DESIGNER #6 is a Baby or Kidswear Designer. There are several niches within the Fashion or Apparel realm and Kidswear is a fun industry to work in! Textile Designers in Kidswear are expected to create original designs, illustrations, graphics and prints that make sense for children. Sometimes they’ll have to translate textile designs into development that specify product attributes. They’ll need to understand various kinds of textile design and execution techniques on multiple fabrications, including printing, weaving, and embellishments. They’ll need to collaborate with design and technical teams to ensure high quality in production by identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving textile production issues. Some popular Kidswear companies in the U.S. include Carter’s, Gymboree, and Mudpie.   7 | ATHLETIC WEAR DESIGNER As a Textile Designer for Athletic Wear, you’ll need to think in terms of performance, durability, and lifestyle. In other words, you’ll always need to keep in mind the high energy activities that people will be doing while wearing the apparel. Does the apparel need to retain or resist moisture? Does it need to be absorbent or allow a good amount of air permeability? Should the apparel be loose or tight? As a general rule, the apparel should be comfortable and not rub the skin during vigorous exercise. The designer will responsible for researching seasonal trends in activity, silhouette, color, fabric, trim, etc. The designer would also attend trade shows, meet with vendors, suppliers, and key customer accounts as required.   8 | SWIMWEAR DESIGNER Swimwear designers will research concepts from magazines, runways, other retailers, as well as vintage designs! They will source waterproof fabrics and will approve or revise color lab dips, strikes offs, etc. Like other Textile Designers, they will present concept boards for the Swimwear Line, will work on garment construction, and will sample ideas with overseas factories.   9 | FREELANCE TEXTILE DESIGNER Now, all of the Textile Designer roles I just mentioned were described as In-House positions… However, as a Textile Designer you can also work as a Freelancer! Freelancing can offer a lot of freedom, but it can also be unstable. I DO NOT recommend trying to work as a freelance Textile Designer if you have never worked for a company before. There is so much to learn ON THE JOB and about the business side of things that it really is to your benefit to work for a company first.   10 | ART LICENSING FOR TEXTILES Also, Known As SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN Art Licensing is also a wonderful field to get into as a Textile Designer once you feel ready. It can also be referred to as Surface Pattern Design, because often times as a licensor you focus more on the 2-D side of things by presenting prints and patterns, but you don’t always have a hand in the product development. For example, you might not see new constructions developed by a supplier or what goes on with new textile techniques, new yarns, etc. Art Licensing can be difficult to get into, because you get paid in royalties. This means, it could take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to start earning a full-time income again. Many have broken into the art licensing world by saving 6 months of their salary, leaning on a supportive family member, or freelancing or working a part-time job while breaking into the business. In art licensing, you can exhibit at trade shows or work with an agent who will represent you at trade shows such as Blueprint or Surtex.     GET MY FREE TRAINING IN TEXTILE DESIGN Sign Up For My Free Webinar Training Session If You Are Serious About A Career In Textile Design: http://www.laurenlesley.com/masterclass       VOTE BELOW: For your assignment, leave me a comment below and VOTE ON which type of Textile Designer or industry you’d like to work in the most! Fabric Designer Soft Flooring Bedding Designer Soft Goods in Home Décor Fashion Designer / Apparel Baby / Kidswear Designer Athletic Wear Designer Swimwear Designer Freelance Textile Designer Art Licensing  

On today's episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we're talking about building a business as a surface designer with my guest, Erin Dollar. Erin Dollar is the textile designer behind the home decor brand Cotton & Flax. She's known for her minimalist-modern approach to surface pattern design, and her textile home goods have been stocked in indie retail shops around the world, as well as on the shelves of stores like CB2, Need Supply, and West Elm. In 2016 she launched Arroyo, her first fabric collection for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and this month her second collection, Balboa, arrives in stores. +++++ This episode of the While She Naps podcast is sponsored by Search Press North America, bestselling books for sewing, quilting, knitting, fine art and many other crafts. Award-winning titles include the A-Z embroidery books and the Half Yard sewing series. Whether you are a beginner or an expert looking for new inspiration, Search Press delivers consistent, step by step instruction books for all crafters. You can find Search Press books in all major craft stores, as well as specialist retailers around the world. Use the discount code WSN102018to receive 20% discount off books on the Search Press North America website plus free shipping. +++++ Please note that this show used to be called the While She Naps podcast. The name has changed, but the content and host have stayed the same.   To get the full show notes for this episode, visit Craft Industry Alliance where you can learn more about becoming a member of our supportive trade association. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections with forward-thinking craft professionals. Meet with show host, Abby Glassenberg, each month for our Craft Business Roundtable, get access to courses and webinars taught by industry leaders, and much more.

Erin Dollar of Cotton and Flax is on the show today for a shop talk! We are chatting about how she decided to start licensing her work, making smart decisions during product development and how we get all the things done. If you’ve thought about expanding your revenue streams, this one is for you!   Have you joined our Facebook group yet? We've worked hard to create an awesome space for Product Based Biz Owners who are ready to rock! We don't bite so come join us!   Want to be in the know for when your Rock Your Holiday Extravaganza, Rebel Sessions and our FREE holiday workshop launches? Join our newsletter!   We need you for our 100th episode! Head to http://creativebizrebellion.com/100episodes/ for more info!   About Erin: Erin Dollar is a surface pattern designer, and founder of Cotton & Flax, a collection of modern textile home decor that is designed and manufactured in California. Erin's work has been sold in 100+ retail shops, from indie boutiques, to large mass-market retailers like West Elm, CB2, and Need Supply. She has expanded her design portfolio through collaborations with brands like Robert Kaufman Fabrics, where her designs take on new life in the hands of modern crafters.   Connect with Erin:Website | Instagram | Facebook   If you have a second please jump over to iTunes and leave us a review! Click on the link and then click on “view in iTunes” to leave us a review. We give you all the virtual fist bumps. Thank you! YOU CAN FIND KELLY ONLINE AT: www.helloworldpaperco.com www.kellyparkersmith.com www.helloworldstamps.etsy.com YOU CAN FIND CAROLINE ONLINE AT: www.carolinecreates.com www.carolinecreates.etsy.com

Welcome to Episode 45 of Sit & Sew Radio, a Quilt Addicts Anonymous podcast. This week we are bringing back Malka Dubraswky to talk about her new fabric collection, Mark to Make, for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. You may remember Malka from her appearance on Episode 7 of Sit & Sew Radio, which you can listen to by clicking here. Before we get to the interview, we want to tell you a little bit about what is going on behind the scenes at Quilt Addicts Anonymous. The past week or so has been all about getting ready for our first trips to Chicago and Paducah! We are vending at Quilt Festival Chicago April 12-14 and then we’re going right to Kentucky for AQS QuiltWeek Spring Paducah 2018 April 18-21. If you are going to make it to one of the shows, we’d love for you to come say hi! We’ll be at Booth #2007 in Chicago and Booth #2106 in Paducah. Mention Sit & Sew Radio at our booth and get one of our $12 patterns for FREE with a $10 purchase at either show. We’ve also been spending a lot of time and effort on content generation for all of the Quilt Addicts Anonymous fans. In addition to the Sit & Sew Radio podcast, we’re pumping out new video tutorials all the time. All of our videos for the Dimensions Block of the Month are now available on YouTube, and we also have an exciting 12-part video tutorial series in the works. Check us out on YouTube here and subscribe. My first book is also in production and photography should be happening soon, which is super exciting. The book is scheduled for release this fall. There’s also new patterns on the way and some magazine patterns later this summer. We are really excited for what 2018 will bring here at Quilt Addicts Anonymous. Malka Dubrawky, fabric designer, dyer, author and blogger Malka went to school to study studio art and turned to art quilting when she was at home raising kids. She received lots of recognition, and was featured in several publications, but eventually moved over to the modern quilting world when her desire shifted to creating more functional textiles that would inspire other quilters. Today we’re talking about her latest fabric collection, Mark to Make. This is Malka’s first true batik fabric collection that is produced by a major fabric manufacturer. We also discuss her increased productivity since moving her studio to her home, sewing garments and what inspires her outside of the sewing and quilting world. Learn more about Malka and her work at her website stitchindye.com.

The first in my three part series on surface design is Karen Lewis. Living in Leeds, England, Karen Lewis is a quilter, screen printer, teacher, fabric designer for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, wife and mother. During our conversation, we talk about how she designs her screen prints, the biggest unfounded fear about screen printing, the importance of handmade products and following her passion led to her fabric lines. I hope you enjoy the episode.  For more information about this episode (including show notes), please check out my website.    Podcast music by Mekanism Sound.   Special thanks to Dharma Trading Company for sponsoring this episode. Dharma has all of your fabric printing, painting and dyeing bases covered. Serving the fiber artist community since 1969 with great prices and the best customer support in the industry, Dharma Trading is your source for textile art supplies. You can find them online at dharmatrading.com or call toll free at 800-542-5227. Podcast Listeners can save 10% off their order with promo code Dharma10

Sherrill Kahn was a public school teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 30 years, including 27 years at Palisades High School, teaching drawing, painting, fiber art, and design. Since retiring, she has become an internationally known mixed-media artist, teaching her colorful techniques throughout the United States and Canada, and also in Australia, England, India, Switzerland, and Germany.  Sherrill has written 7 books, including her most recent, Mixed Media Master Class: 50+ Surface Design Techniques for Fabric and Paper and more than 50 magazine articles featuring her ever-expanding range of expressive techniques. She was on the first TV crafts show, The Carol Duvall Show twice and has created a DVD featuring her art techniques.  Her art has been used in many products, including six lines of fabrics from Robert Kaufman Fabrics; Rollagraph stamps from Clearsnap; and many rubber stamps from her company, Impress Me.  Sherrill loves to share her techniques with others and lives by the words "what if." I don’t think there is a craft Sherrill has not mastered.